Systems and methods of automatic game creation

ABSTRACT

A system, machine-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for automatic game creation are presented. An access module can access player information for a receiver and an originator. Additionally, a matching module can determine that the receiver and the originator have a connection based on the player information. Furthermore, a game invitation module can detect that a recipient game is installed on an originator device of the originator and that the recipient game is not installed on a receiver device of the receiver. Subsequently, the game invitation module can send, to the receiver device, a game invitation to play the recipient game based on the determination and the detection, with the game invitation including information associated with the originator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/156,443, filed Oct. 10, 2018, now issued as U.S. patent Ser. No.10/682,571, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/688,660, filed on Apr. 16, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No.10,124,253, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/980,236, filed on Apr. 16, 2014, the contents ofeach of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to games and applications in general andin particular to computer-implemented games. In an example embodiment,an invitation to play an automatically-created game is sent to a player.

BACKGROUND

In many games, there is a virtual world or some other imagined playingspace where a player/user of the game controls one or more playercharacters (herein “character,” “player character,” or “PC”). Playercharacters can be considered in-game representations of the controllingplayer. As used herein, the terms “player,” “user,” “entity,” and“friend” may refer to the in-game player character controlled by thatplayer, user, entity, or friend, unless context suggests otherwise. Thegame display can display a representation of the player character. Agame engine accepts inputs from the player, determines player characteractions, decides outcomes of events and presents the player with a gamedisplay illuminating what happened. In some games, there are multipleplayers, wherein each player controls one or more player characters.

Many online computer games are operated on an online social network.Such a network allows both users and other parties to interact with thecomputer games directly, whether to play the games or to retrieve game-or user-related information. Internet users may maintain one or moreaccounts with various service providers, including, for example, onlinegame networking systems and online social networking systems. Onlinesystems can typically be accessed using browser clients (e.g., Firefox,Chrome, and Internet Explorer).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and notlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numerals indicate similar elements unless otherwise indicated.In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a system, accordingto some example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a social networkwithin a social graph, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a game networkingsystem, according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 4-5 are flowcharts illustrating an example method of automaticallysending a game invitation to a player, according to some exampleembodiments.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of automaticallysending a turn notification after a receiver has installed a recipientgame, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a diagram that depicts an example user interface, according tosome example embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of an example data flow betweenexample components of the example system of FIG. 1, according to someexample embodiments.

FIGS. 9-10 are schematic diagrams showing an example networkenvironment, in which various example embodiments may operate, accordingto some example embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Overview

In various example embodiments, a game networking system associated withone or more computer-implemented virtual games can host a social,asynchronous game that automatically matches players with each other forgame play. The game networking system can include a game invitationmodule. In some instances, the game invitation module automaticallygenerates and sends a game invitation to a player, also referred to as areceiver. The invitation can appear to have been initiated by anoriginator, who can be a friend within the receiver's social network(e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Google, Zynga, etc.).

For example, the game invitation is automatically initiated andgenerated by the game invitation module without the originator actuallyinitiating the invitation. If the receiver accepts the invitation toplay with the originator, the game invitation module can automaticallysend a subsequent invitation to the originator such that it appears thatthe receiver is initiating game play with the originator. Thesetechniques allow for the creation of game play between two playerswithout either player initiating the game instance, resulting inincreased player retention and engagement.

A game invitation module can improve new user retention by providingmore games to users. For example, a user may not have enough friends ina social network playing the game or may be slow in creating new games.

In some instances, a new game installation is created automatically oncethe receiver accepts the game invitation. The game invitation caninclude a link to an application store to download the game application.Once the game has been installed, a game instance of the game can beinitiated by the game invitation module. Additionally, the gameinvitation module can send a turn notification to the receiver so thatthe receiver plays first. For example, the turn notification can appearin the receiver's moves list. Additionally, the game instance and turnnotification may not appear in the originator's moves list until thereceiver has played his/her turn.

An example of a turn notification includes a push notification to areceiver with the following example text: “Someone just started a gamewith you—play your turn now!” Additionally, the turn notification can becustomize by including the name of the originator, such as “<Personname> has invited you to play!”

Additionally, game instances can be created automatically for usersconnected in a social network or users connected based on similarcharacteristics stored in the game server. For example, the first gameinstance can be created shortly after the game has been installed by thereceiver (e.g., within the first hour of installing the game, within thefirst day of installing the game).

Example System

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system for implementing variousdisclosed embodiments. In particular embodiments, system 100 comprisesplayer 101, social networking system 120 a, game networking system 120b, client system 130, and network 160. The components of system 100 canbe connected to each other in any suitable configuration, using anysuitable type of connection. The components may be connected directly orover a network 160, which may be any suitable network. For example, oneor more portions of network 160 may be an ad hoc network, an intranet,an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network(LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN(WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the Internet, aportion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellulartelephone network, another type of network, or a combination of two ormore such networks.

Social network system 120 a is a network-addressable computing systemthat can host one or more social graphs. Social networking system 120 acan generate, store, receive, and transmit social networking data.Social network system 120 a can be accessed by the other components ofsystem 100 either directly or via network 160. Game networking system120 b is a network-addressable computing system that can host one ormore online games. Game networking system 120 b can generate, store,receive, and transmit game-related data, such as, for example, gameaccount data, game input, game state data, and game displays. Gamenetworking system 120 b can be accesses by the other components ofsystem 100 either directly or via network 160. Player 101 may use clientsystem 130 to access, send data to, and receive data from social networksystem 120 a and game networking system 120 b. Client system 130 canaccess social networking system 120 or game networking system 120 bdirectly, via network 160, or via a third-party system. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, client system 130 may access gamenetworking system 120 b via social networking system 120 a. Clientsystem 130 can be any suitable computing device, such as a personalcomputer, laptop, cellular phone, smart phone, computing tablet, etc.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates a particular number of players 101, socialnetwork systems 120 a, game networking systems 120 b, client systems130, and networks 160, this disclosure contemplates any suitable numberof players 101, social network systems 120 a, game networking systems120 b, client systems 130, and networks 160. As an example and not byway of limitation, system 100 may include one or more game networkingsystems 120 b and no social networking systems 120 a. As another exampleand not by way of limitation, system 100 may include a system thatcomprises both social networking system 120 a and game networking system120 b. Moreover, although FIG. 1 illustrates a particular arrangement ofplayer 101, social network system 120 a, game networking system 120 b,client system 130, and network 160, this disclosure contemplates anysuitable arrangement of player 101, social network system 120 a, gamenetworking system 120 b, client system 130, and network 160.

The components of system 100 may be connected to each other using anysuitable connections 110. For example, suitable connections 110 includewireline (such as, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or DataOver Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)), wireless (such as,for example, Wi-Fi or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX)) or optical (such as, for example, Synchronous Optical Network(SONET) or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)) connections. Inparticular embodiments, one or more connections 110 each include an adhoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a VPN, a LAN, a WLAN, a WAN, aWWAN, a MAN, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the PSTN, acellular telephone network, or another type of connection, or acombination of two or more such connections. Connections 110 need notnecessarily be the same throughout system 100. One or more firstconnections 110 may differ in one or more respects from one or moresecond connections 110. Although FIG. 1 illustrates particularconnections between player 101, social network system 120 a, gamenetworking system 120 b, client system 130, and network 160, thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable connections between player 101,social network system 120 a, game networking system 120 b, client system130, and network 160. As an example and not by way of limitation, inparticular embodiments, client system 130 may have a direct connectionto social network system 120 a or game networking system 120 b,bypassing network 160.

Online Games and Game Systems

Game Networking Systems

In an online computer game, a game engine manages the game state of thegame. Game state comprises all game play parameters, including playercharacter state, non-player character (NPC) state, in-game object state,game world state (e.g., internal game clocks, game environment), andother game play parameters. Each player 101 controls one or more playercharacters (PCs). The game engine controls all other aspects of thegame, including non-player characters (NPCs), and in-game objects. Thegame engine also manages game state, including player character statefor currently active (online) and inactive (offline) players.

An online game can be hosted by game networking system 120 b, which canbe accessed using any suitable connection with a suitable client system130. A player may have a game account on game networking system 120 b,wherein the game account can contain a variety of information associatedwith the player (e.g., the player's personal information, financialinformation, purchase history, player character state, game state). Insome embodiments, a player may play multiple games on game networkingsystem 120 b, which may maintain a single game account for the playerwith respect to all the games, or multiple individual game accounts foreach game with respect to the player. In some embodiments, gamenetworking system 120 b can assign a unique identifier to each player101 of an online game hosted on game networking system 120 b. Gamenetworking system 120 b can determine that a player 101 is accessing theonline game by reading the user's cookies, which may be appended to HTTPrequests transmitted by client system 130, and/or by the player 101logging onto the online game.

An online game can be hosted by game networking system 120 b, which canbe accessed using any suitable connection with a suitable client system130. A player may have a game account on game networking system 120 b,wherein the game account can contain a variety of information associatedwith the player (e.g., the player's personal information, financialinformation, purchase history, player character state, game state). Insome embodiments, a player may play multiple games on game networkingsystem 120 b, which may maintain a single game account for the playerwith respect to all the games, or multiple individual game accounts foreach game with respect to the player. In some embodiments, gamenetworking system 120 b can assign a unique identifier to each player101 of an online game hosted on game networking system 120 b. Gamenetworking system 120 b can determine that a player 101 is accessing theonline game by reading the user's cookies, which may be appended to HTTPrequests transmitted by client system 130, and/or by the player 101logging onto the online game.

In particular embodiments, player 101 may access an online game andcontrol the game's progress via client system 130 (e.g., by inputtingcommands to the game at the client device). Client system 130 candisplay the game interface, receive inputs from player 101, transmittinguser inputs or other events to the game engine, and receive instructionsfrom the game engine. The game engine can be executed on any suitablesystem (such as, for example, client system 130, social networkingsystem 120 a, or game networking system 120 b). As an example and not byway of limitation, client system 130 can download client components ofan online game, which are executed locally, while a remote game server,such as game networking system 120 b, provides backend support for theclient components and may be responsible for maintaining applicationdata of the game, processing the inputs from the player, updating and/orsynchronizing the game state based on the game logic and each input fromthe player, and transmitting instructions to client system 130. Asanother example and not by way of limitation, each time player 101provides an input to the game through the client system 130 (such as,for example, by typing on the keyboard or clicking the mouse of clientsystem 130), the client components of the game may transmit the player'sinput to game networking system 120 b.

Game Systems, Social Networks, and Social Graphs

In an online multiplayer game, players may control player characters(PCs), a game engine controls non-player characters (NPCs) and gamefeatures, and the game engine also manages player character state andgame state and tracks the state for currently active (i.e., online)players and currently inactive (i.e., offline) players. A playercharacter can have a set of attributes and a set of friends associatedwith the player character. As used herein, the term “player characterstate” can refer to any in-game characteristic of a player character,such as location, assets, levels, condition, health, status, inventory,skill set, name, orientation, affiliation, specialty, and so on. Playercharacters may be displayed as graphical avatars within a user interfaceof the game. In other implementations, no avatar or other graphicalrepresentation of the player character is displayed. Game stateencompasses the notion of player character state and refers to anyparameter value that characterizes the state of an in-game element, suchas a non-player character, a virtual object (such as a wall or castle),etc. The game engine may use player character state to determine theoutcome of game events, sometimes also considering set or randomvariables. Generally, a player character's probability of having a morefavorable outcome is greater when the player character has a betterstate. For example, a healthier player character is less likely to diein a particular encounter relative to a weaker player character ornon-player character. In some embodiments, the game engine can assign aunique client identifier to each player.

In particular embodiments, player 101 may access particular gameinstances of an online game. A game instance is copy of a specific gameplay area that is created during runtime. In particular embodiments, agame instance is a discrete game play area where one or more players 101can interact in synchronous or asynchronous play. A game instance maybe, for example, a level, zone, area, region, location, virtual space,or other suitable play area. A game instance may be populated by one ormore in-game objects. Each object may be defined within the gameinstance by one or more variables, such as, for example, position,height, width, depth, direction, time, duration, speed, color, and othersuitable variables. A game instance may be exclusive (i.e., accessibleby specific players) or non-exclusive (i.e., accessible by any player).In particular embodiments, a game instance is populated by one or moreplayer characters controlled by one or more players 101 and one or morein-game objects controlled by the game engine. When accessing an onlinegame, the game engine may allow player 101 to select a particular gameinstance to play from a plurality of game instances. Alternatively, thegame engine may automatically select the game instance that player 101will access. In particular embodiments, an online game comprises onlyone game instance that all players 101 of the online game can access.

In particular embodiments, a specific game instance may be associatedwith one or more specific players. A game instance is associated with aspecific player when one or more game parameters of the game instanceare associated with the specific player. As an example and not by way oflimitation, a game instance associated with a first player may be named“First Player's Play Area.” This game instance may be populated with thefirst player's PC and one or more in-game objects associated with thefirst player. In particular embodiments, a game instance associated witha specific player may only be accessible by that specific player. As anexample and not by way of limitation, a first player may access a firstgame instance when playing an online game, and this first game instancemay be inaccessible to all other players. In other embodiments, a gameinstance associated with a specific player may be accessible by one ormore other players, either synchronously or asynchronously with thespecific player's game play. As an example and not by way of limitation,a first player may be associated with a first game instance, but thefirst game instance may be accessed by all first-degree friends in thefirst player's social network. In particular embodiments, the gameengine may create a specific game instance for a specific player whenthat player accesses the game. As an example and not by way oflimitation, the game engine may create a first game instance when afirst player initially accesses an online game, and that same gameinstance may be loaded each time the first player accesses the game. Asanother example and not by way of limitation, the game engine may createa new game instance each time a first player accesses an online game,wherein each game instance may be created randomly or selected from aset of predetermined game instances. In particular embodiments, the setof in-game actions available to a specific player may be different in agame instance that is associated with that player compared to a gameinstance that is not associated with that player. The set of in-gameactions available to a specific player in a game instance associatedwith that player may be a subset, superset, or independent of the set ofin-game actions available to that player in a game instance that is notassociated with him. As an example and not by way of limitation, a firstplayer may be associated with Blackacre Farm in an online farming game.The first player may be able to plant crops on Blackacre Farm. If thefirst player accesses game instance associated with another player, suchas Whiteacre Farm, the game engine may not allow the first player toplant crops in that game instance. However, other in-game actions may beavailable to the first player, such as watering or fertilizing crops onWhiteacre Farm.

In particular embodiments, a game engine can interface with a socialgraph. Social graphs are models of connections between entities (e.g.,individuals, users, contacts, friends, players, player characters,non-player characters, businesses, groups, associations, concepts,etc.). These entities are considered “users” of the social graph; assuch, the terms “entity” and “user” may be used interchangeably whenreferring to social graphs herein. A social graph can have a node foreach entity and edges to represent relationships between entities. Anode in a social graph can represent any entity. In particularembodiments, a unique client identifier can be assigned to each user inthe social graph. This disclosure assumes that at least one entity of asocial graph is a player or player character in an online multiplayergame, though this disclosure any suitable social graph users.

The minimum number of edges required to connect a player (or playercharacter) to another user is considered the degree of separationbetween them. For example, where the player and the user are directlyconnected (one edge), they are deemed to be separated by one degree ofseparation. The user would be a so-called “first-degree friend” of theplayer. Where the player and the user are connected through one otheruser (two edges), they are deemed to be separated by two degrees ofseparation. This user would be a so-called “second-degree friend” of theplayer. Where the player and the user are connected through N edges (orN−1 other users), they are deemed to be separated by N degrees ofseparation. This user would be a so-called “Nth-degree friend.” As usedherein, the term “friend” means only first-degree friends, unlesscontext suggests otherwise.

Within the social graph, each player (or player character) has a socialnetwork. A player's social network includes all users in the socialgraph within Nmax degrees of the player, where Nmax is the maximumdegree of separation allowed by the system managing the social graph(such as, for example, social networking system 120 a or game networkingsystem 120 b). In one embodiment, Nmax equals 1, such that the player'ssocial network includes only first-degree friends. In anotherembodiment, Nmax is unlimited and the player's social network iscoextensive with the social graph.

In particular embodiments, the social graph is managed by gamenetworking system 120 b, which is managed by the game operator. In otherembodiments, the social graph is part of a social networking system 120a managed by a third-party (e.g., Facebook, Friendster, Myspace). In yetother embodiments, player 101 has a social network on both gamenetworking system 120 b and social networking system 120 a, whereinplayer 101 can have a social network on the game networking system 120 bthat is a subset, superset, or independent of the player's socialnetwork on social networking system 120 a. In such combined systems,game network system 120 b can maintain social graph information withedge type attributes that indicate whether a given friend is an “in-gamefriend,” an “out-of-game friend,” or both. The various embodimentsdisclosed herein are operable when the social graph is managed by socialnetworking system 120 a, game networking system 120 b, or both.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a social network within a social graph. Asshown, Player 201 can be associated, connected or linked to variousother users, or “friends,” within the social network 250. Theseassociations, connections or links can track relationships between userswithin the social network 250 and are commonly referred to as online“friends” or “friendships” between users. Each friend or friendship in aparticular user's social network within a social graph is commonlyreferred to as a “node.” For purposes of illustration and not by way oflimitation, the details of social network 250 will be described inrelation to Player 201. As used herein, the terms “player” and “user”can be used interchangeably and can refer to any user or character in anonline multiuser game system or social networking system. As usedherein, the term “friend” can mean any node within a player's socialnetwork.

As shown in FIG. 2, Player 201 has direct connections with severalfriends. When Player 201 has a direct connection with anotherindividual, the direct connection is referred to as a first-degreefriend. In social network 250, Player 201 has two first-degree friends.That is, Player 201 is directly connected to Friend 11 211 and Friend 21221. In a social graph, it is possible for individuals to be connectedto other individuals through their first-degree friends (i.e., friendsof friends). As described above, each edge required to connect a playerto another user is considered the degree of separation. For example,FIG. 2 shows that Player 201 has three second-degree friends to which heis connected via his connection to his first-degree friends.Second-degree Friend 12 212 and Friend 22 222 are connected to Player201 via his first-degree Friend 11 211. The limit on the depth of friendconnections, or the number of degrees of separation for associations,that Player 201 is allowed is typically dictated by the restrictions andpolicies implemented by social networking system 120 a.

In various embodiments, Player 201 can have Nth-degree friends connectedto him through a chain of intermediary degree friends as indicated inFIG. 2. For example, Nth-degree Friend 1N 219 is connected to Player 201via second-degree Friend 32 232 and one or more other higher-degreefriends. Various embodiments may take advantage of and utilize thedistinction between the various degrees of friendship relative to Player201.

In particular embodiments, a player (or player character) can have asocial graph within an online multiplayer game that is maintained by thegame engine and another social graph maintained by a separate socialnetworking system. FIG. 2 depicts an example of in-game social network260 and out-of-game social network 250. In this example, Player 201 hasout-of-game connections 255 to a plurality of friends, formingout-of-game social network 250. Here, Friend 11 211 and Friend 21 221are first-degree friends with Player 201 in his out-of-game socialnetwork 250. Player 201 also has in-game connections 265 to a pluralityof players, forming in-game social network 260. Here, Friend 21 221,Friend 31 231, and Friend 41 241 are first-degree friends with Player201 in his in-game social network 260. In some embodiments, it ispossible for a friend to be in both the out-of-game social network 250and the in-game social network 260. Here, Friend 21 221 has both anout-of-game connection 255 and an in-game connection 265 with Player201, such that Friend 21 221 is in both Player 201's in-game socialnetwork 260 and Player 201's out-of-game social network 250.

As with other social networks, Player 201 can have second-degree andhigher-degree friends in both his in-game and out of game socialnetworks. In some embodiments, it is possible for Player 201 to have afriend connected to him both in his in-game and out-of-game socialnetworks, wherein the friend is at different degrees of separation ineach network. For example, if Friend 22 222 had a direct in-gameconnection with Player 201, Friend 22 222 would be a second-degreefriend in Player 201's out-of-game social network, but a first-degreefriend in Player 201's in-game social network. In particularembodiments, a game engine can access in-game social network 260,out-of-game social network 250, or both.

In particular embodiments, the connections in a player's in-game socialnetwork can be formed both explicitly (e.g., users must “friend” eachother) and implicitly (e.g., system observes user behaviors and“friends” users to each other). Unless otherwise indicated, reference toa friend connection between two or more players can be interpreted tocover both explicit and implicit connections, using one or more socialgraphs and other factors to infer friend connections. The friendconnections can be unidirectional or bidirectional. It is also not alimitation of this description that two players who are deemed “friends”for the purposes of this disclosure are not friends in real life (i.e.,in disintermediated interactions or the like), but that could be thecase.

Game Creation Module

This section describes various aspects of generating game invitationsand creating new games, as implemented by the gaming networking system120 b. It is to be appreciated that the example embodiments describedherein are provided merely for illustration and clarity of description.Consequently, the embodiments described here should not be interpretedas limiting the scope of other example embodiments that are consistentwith this disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a game networkingsystem, according to some example embodiments. The game networkingsystem 120 b may include a game engine module 305, an access module 310,a matching module 315, a game invitation module 320, a user inputinterface module 325, and a display module 330. All of the modules canbe hardware-implemented modules configured to perform tasks describedbelow.

In various example embodiments, the game engine module 305 is configuredto manage and control any aspects of a game based on rules of the game,including how a game is played, players' actions and responses toplayers' actions, and the like. The game engine module 305 can beconfigured to generate a game instance of a game of a player and candetermine the progression of a game based on user inputs and rules ofthe game.

In various example embodiments, the access module 310 is configured toaccess player information for a game. Player information can include thenumber of instances that a specific user plays a game, the number ofgame invitations sent to the user, the number of game invitations senton behalf of the user, an association with another user (e.g., usershave played each other), the number of game plays currently being playedby the user, game status of the user (e.g., last time the user playedthe game), characteristics of the user playing the game (e.g., skilllevel, response rate to game invitations, response rate to turnnotifications, response speed to turn notifications). Additionally, theaccess module 310 can access connection information associated with theplayer in a social network (e.g., Facebook account, Twitter account, andthe like).

In various example embodiments, the matching module 315 is configured todetermine whether two users (e.g., receiver and originator) have aconnection. Additionally, the matching module 315 can determine (e.g.,derive) information associated with the user based on the playerinformation accessed by the access module 310. Furthermore, the matchingmodule 315, in some embodiments, is configured to determine whether ornot to send a game invitation to a receiver on behalf of the originatorbased on the determined information derived from the player informationor the connection information. For instance, the matching module 315 maydetermine to send a game invitation to play a recipient game to areceiver on behalf of an originator based on the receiver and theoriginator having played each other in another game (e.g., initialgame). The recipient game can be a game application that is installed onan originator's device, but not installed a receiver's device. Theinitial game can be another game application installed on both theoriginator's device and receiver's device.

In various example embodiments, the game invitation module 320 isconfigured to determine when game invitations are to be automaticallygenerated for one or more players. Additionally, the game invitationmodule 320 is configured to generate the game invitation based on inputsby the matching module 315. Furthermore, the game invitation module 320is configured to control and manage the automatic generation of theseinvitations, as described herein. In some instances, the game invitationmodule 320 detects when a game application is installed on a device of auser.

In various example embodiments, the user input interface module 325 isconfigured to receive user inputs for processing by the game enginemodule 305 based on rules of the game. For example, the user inputinterface module 325 can receive user inputs indicating functions, suchas a selection and/or movement of a game object, a request received fromthe player, and the like.

In various example embodiments, the display module 330 is configured tocontrol information or data that is provided to client systems fordisplay on a client device. For example, the display module 330 can beconfigured to provide display data associated with displaying a gameinstance (e.g., game play) of a game, displaying a game user interfaceassociated with one or more games, displaying game objects moved by aplayer, and the like. In some instances, the display module 330 displaysthe game invitation generated by the game invitation module 320 to auser (e.g., receiver). In some instances, when the receiver accepts thegame invitation, the display module 330 displays a notification to thereceiver to play his/her turn in the game instance. After the receiverplays his/her turn, the display module 330 displays a notification tothe other user (e.g., originator) to play his/her turn in the game. Forexample, the display module 330 can display a game invitation of aparticular game hosted by the game networking system 120 b. As such, thedisplay module 330 is further to cause display of a turn notification ona screen of a device in response to the user accepting the gameinvitation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 400 ofautomatically sending a game invitation to a player, according to someexample embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4, the method includes operations410, 420, 430, and 440.

At operation 410, the access module 310 accesses player information fora receiver and an originator. The game invitation can be automaticallygenerated by the game invitation module 320, and sent to the receiver onbehalf of the originator. In some instances, the originator and thereceiver are two players that have previously played each other in aninitial game. The initial game can be another game hosted by the gamenetworking system 120 b

At operation 420, the matching module 315 determines that the receiverand the originator have a connection based on the player information.The determination at operation 420 can be performed using one or moreprocessors of the game networking system 120 b. Alternatively, thedetermination at operation 420 can be performed using one or moreprocessors of the client system 130.

In one example, the connection is that the receiver and the originatorhave played each other in an initial game. The initial game is differentthan the recipient game. For example, the initial game is Words withFriends™ (WWF), and the recipient game is Scrabble with Friends™ (SWF).Additionally, the connection can be that the receiver and the originatorare connected in a social network. Furthermore, the connection can bethat the receiver and the originator have similar characteristics (e.g.,similar skill set, similar response rate to new game invitations,similar response timing to turn notifications) in another gameapplication installed in both the originator device and the receiverdevice.

At operation 430, the game invitation module 320 detects whether a gameapplication is installed on a device of a user. For example, the gameinvitation module 320 detects that a recipient game is installed on anoriginator device. The originator device can be a client device 130 ofthe originator. Additionally, the game invitation module 320 detectsthat the recipient game is not installed on a receiver device. Thereceiver device can be a client device 130 of the receiver.

Continuing with the example above, the game invitation module 320detects that the recipient game (e.g., SWF) is installed in theoriginator device and is not installed in the receiver device.Additionally, operation 430 can also include the game invitation module320 detecting that the initial game (e.g., WWF) is installed in both theoriginator device and the receiver device.

At operation 440, the game invitation module 320 sends a game invitationto play the recipient game based on the determination at operation 420and the detection at operation 430. The game invitation can includeinformation associated with the originator. For example, when theoriginator is named Bob, the game invitation can include a pushnotification with the following example text: “Bob wants to play a gamewith you, download the game now!”

In some instances, the game invitation can include a link to anapplication store to download a game application corresponding to therecipient game.

In some instances, the game invitation is sent to the receiver on behalfof the originator. For example, the game invitation is automaticallygenerated by the game invitation module 320, and sent to the receiver bythe game invitation module. The game invitation can include the name ofthe originator in the message to show that the game invitation is senton behalf of the originator.

As shown in FIG. 5, the method 400 may include operations 510, 520, 530,540, and 550. Moreover, the operations 510, 520, 530, 540, and 550, mayeach be performed after operation 440.

At operation 510, the game invitation module 320 receives a request bythe receiver to play the recipient game. In some instances, the requestcan be based on a notification from an application store that a gameapplication corresponding to the recipient game has been installed onthe receiver device. In other instances, the request is received fromthe receiver device, such as the receiver sending a confirmation to playthe recipient game in response to the receiver receiving the gameinvitation. For example, after receiving the game invitation atoperation 440, the receiver can install the SWF game application.

At operation 520, the game invitation module 320 initiates a gameinstance of the recipient game between the originator and the receiverbased on the received request. In some instances, the initiation of thegame instance includes causing a presentation of the game instance on adisplay of the receiver device. Continuing with the example, the gameinvitation module 320 can automatically start a game instance in the SWFgame application.

At operation 530, the game invitation module 320 sends, to the receiverdevice, a first turn notification associated with the initiated gameinstance. As previously described, a turn notification can be a pushnotification to the receiver device that prompts the receiver to play afirst turn in the game instance of the recipient game. Continuing withthe example, the game invitation module 320 can send a message to thereceiver to play the first turn.

At operation 540, the user input interface module 325 receives, from thereceiver device, a user input corresponding to a turn associated withthe first turn notification. Continuing with the example, afterreceiving a turn notification, the receiver can place letter tiles onthe digital game board of the SWF game.

At operation 550, the game invitation module 320 sends, to theoriginator device, a second turn notification based on the received userinput. Continuing with the example, in response to receiving the userinput at operation 540, the game invitation module 320 can sent a turnnotification to the originator to play his/her turn in the game instanceof the SWF game. The game invitation can display the game instance ofthe SWF game, which includes the turned played by receiver (e.g., lettertiles placed on the digital game board).

In some instances, after operation 550, the game engine module 305 andthe access module 310 can update the player information to include thatthe receiver and the originator have played each other in the recipientgame. The player information is utilized at operations 410, 420, and 430by the matching module 315 to determine (e.g., match) an originator anda receiver.

The matching module 315 utilizes the player information to efficientlymatch an originator to a receiver based on parameters described below.Therefore, operation 420 can further include the matching module 315matching an originator to a receiver based on the accessed playerinformation.

For example, when the determined connection at operation 420 is that thereceiver and the originator have played each other in an initial game,method 400 can further include the matching module 315 determining anumber of game instances of the initial game that the receiver hasplayed over a period of time. Additionally, the sending of the gameinvitation at operation 440 is further based on the determined number ofgame instances being above a predetermined threshold. For example, thegame invitation is sent at operation 440 if the determined number ofgame instances is greater than one instance in a week.

In some instances, the matching module 315 determines a recipient gamestatus of the originator, with the recipient game status correspondingto a time frame for a recent game instance of the recipient game.Additionally, the sending of the game invitation at operation 440 isfurther based on the determined recipient game status of the originator.For example, when the recipient game status is lapsed or heavily lapsed,the receiver can be determined to be a lapsed user based on the numberof game instances of the initial game played by the receiver. Forexample, a lapsed user can be a user that has not played the initialgame in the last seven days. A heavily lapsed user can be a user thathas not played the initial game in the past month or year. The gameinvitation module 320 may not send a game invitation to a heavily lapseduser because the likelihood of the lapsed user installing the recipientgame is low.

In some instances, the matching module 315 can match up a receiver thatis a lapsed user with an originator that is an active user. An activeuser can be a user that has played the initial game with a predetermined(e.g., less than seven) number of days.

In some instances, the matching module 315 determines a number of gameinstances of the recipient game currently being played on the originatordevice. Additionally, the sending of the game invitation is furtherbased on the determined number of game instances being below apredetermined threshold. For example, a game invitation is only send ifthe originator is currently playing less than a predetermined number(e.g., five) of game instances. The game invitation module 320 takesinto account that the originator may not want to automatically startanother game instance, when the originator already is playing numerous(e.g., more than five) game instances, so therefore the game invitationmodule 320 does not send a new game invitation to the receiver on behalfof the originator.

In some instances, the matching module 315 determines a number of gameinvitations having been sent to the receiver device over a predeterminedamount of time. Additionally, the sending of the game invitation atoperation 440 is further based on the determined number of gameinvitations being below a predetermined threshold.

In some instances, the matching module 315 determines a number of gameinvitations sent on behalf of the originator. Additionally, the sendingof the game invitation at operation 440 is further based on thedetermined number of game invitations sent on behalf of the originator.The game invitation module 320 takes into account that the originatormay not want to be bothered by too many new game instances automaticallystarted on the behalf of the originator. Therefore, when the determinednumber of game invitations sent on behalf of the originator is above athreshold (e.g., more than five), then the game invitation module 320does not send a new game invitation to the receiver on behalf of theoriginator.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 600 ofautomatically sending a turn notification after a receiver 601 hasinstalled a recipient game in response to a game invitation received onbehalf on an originator 602, according to some example embodiments. Asshown in FIG. 6, the method includes operations 610, 620, 630, 640, and650.

At operation 610, the receiver 601 installs a recipient game in responseto a game invitation received on behalf on an originator 602. The gameinvitation can be sent using operation 440 of method 400.

At operation 620, the game invitation module 320 initiates a gameinstance of the recipient game between the receiver 601 and theoriginator 602.

At operation 630, the game invitation module 320 sends a first turnnotification to the receiver 601. In some instances, the originator 602does not get a notification that the game instance has started or get aturn notification.

At operation 640, the receiver 601 plays his/her turn in response to thereceived first turn notification. The user input interface 325 canreceive a user input from the receiver 601 corresponding to the playedturn.

At operation 650, after the game engine module 305 determines that thereceiver 601 has played his/her turn, the game invitation module 320 nowsends a second turn notification to the originator 602. Subsequently,the rest of the game can proceed as normal.

FIG. 7 is a diagram that depicts an example user interface 700,according to some example embodiments. The example user interface 700may be displayed on a device (e.g., client device 130) that is operatedby a player of the multiplayer game. As shown, FIG. 7 includes a gameinvitation 710. The game invitation includes the name of the recipientgame 715 and a link to the application store to download the recipientgame application. The link can be a uniform resource locator (URL) 720.

Additionally, the user interface 700 can include a first turnnotification 730. The first turn notification can include the originatorname 735.

Furthermore, the user interface 700 can include a second turnnotification 740. The first turn notification can include the receivername 745.

Moreover, the user interface may be presented by the display module 330on the client device 130.

Data Flow

FIG. 8 illustrates an example data flow between the components of system800. In particular embodiments, system 800 can include client system830, social networking system 820 a, and game networking system 820 b.The components of system 800 can be connected to each other in anysuitable configuration, using any suitable type of connection. Thecomponents may be connected directly or over any suitable network.Client system 830, social networking system 820 a, and game networkingsystem 820 b can each have one or more corresponding data stores such aslocal data store 825, social data store 845, and game data store 865,respectively. Social networking system 820 a and game networking system820 b can also have one or more servers that can communicate with clientsystem 830 over an appropriate network. Social networking system 820 aand game networking system 820 b can have, for example, one or moreinternet servers for communicating with client system 830 via theInternet. Similarly, social networking system 820 a and game networkingsystem 820 b can have one or more mobile servers for communicating withclient system 830 via a mobile network (e.g., GSM, PCS, Wi-Fi, WPAN,etc.). In some embodiments, one server may be able to communicate withclient system 830 over both the Internet and a mobile network. In otherembodiments, separate servers can be used.

Client system 830 can receive and transmit data 823 to and from gamenetworking system 820 b. This data can include, for example, webpages,messages, game inputs, game displays, HTTP packets, data requests,transaction information, updates, and other suitable data. At some othertime, or at the same time, game networking system 820 b can communicatedata 843, 847 (e.g., game state information, game system accountinformation, page info, messages, data requests, updates, etc.) withother networking systems, such as social networking system 820 a (e.g.,Facebook, Myspace, etc.). Client system 830 can also receive andtransmit data 827 to and from social networking system 820 a. This datacan include, for example, webpages, messages, social graph information,social network displays, HTTP packets, data requests, transactioninformation, updates, and other suitable data.

Communication between client system 830, social networking system 820 a,and game networking system 820 b can occur over any appropriateelectronic communication medium or network using any suitablecommunications protocols. For example, client system 830, as well asvarious servers of the systems described herein, may include TransportControl Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networking stacks to providefor datagram and transport functions. Of course, any other suitablenetwork and transport layer protocols can be utilized.

In addition, hosts or end-systems described herein may use a variety ofhigher layer communications protocols, including client-server (orrequest-response) protocols, such as the HyperText Transfer Protocol(HTTP) and other communications protocols, such as HTTP-S, FTP, SNMP,TELNET, and a number of other protocols, may be used. In addition, aserver in one interaction context may be a client in another interactioncontext. In particular embodiments, the information transmitted betweenhosts may be formatted as HyperText Markup Language (HTML) documents.Other structured document languages or formats can be used, such as WL,and the like. Executable code objects, such as JavaScript andActionScript, can also be embedded in the structured documents.

In some client-server protocols, such as the use of HTML over HTTP, aserver generally transmits a response to a request from a client. Theresponse may comprise one or more data objects. For example, theresponse may comprise a first data object, followed by subsequentlytransmitted data objects. In particular embodiments, a client requestmay cause a server to respond with a first data object, such as an HTMLpage, which itself refers to other data objects. A client application,such as a browser, will request these additional data objects as itparses or otherwise processes the first data object.

In particular embodiments, an instance of an online game can be storedas a set of game state parameters that characterize the state of variousin-game objects, such as, for example, player character stateparameters, non-player character parameters, and virtual itemparameters. In particular embodiments, game state is maintained in adatabase as a serialized, unstructured string of text data as aso-called Binary Large Object (BLOB). When a player accesses an onlinegame on game networking system 820 b, the BLOB containing the game statefor the instance corresponding to the player can be transmitted toclient system 830 for use by a client-side executed object to process.In particular embodiments, the client-side executable may be aFLASH-based game, which can de-serialize the game state data in theBLOB. As a player plays the game, the game logic implemented at clientsystem 830 maintains and modifies the various game state parameterslocally. The client-side game logic may also batch game events, such asmouse clicks, and transmit these events to game networking system 820 b.Game networking system 820 b may itself operate by retrieving a copy ofthe BLOB from a database or an intermediate memory cache (memcache)layer. Game networking system 820 b can also de-serialize the BLOB toresolve the game state parameters and execute its own game logic basedon the events in the batch file of events transmitted by the client tosynchronize the game state on the server side. Game networking system820 b may then re-serialize the game state, now modified, into a BLOBand pass this to a memory cache layer for lazy updates to a persistentdatabase.

With a client-server environment in which the online games may run, oneserver system, such as game networking system 820 b, may supportmultiple client systems 830. At any given time, there may be multipleplayers at multiple client systems 830 all playing the same online game.In practice, the number of players playing the same game at the sametime may be very large. As the game progresses with each player,multiple players may provide different inputs to the online game attheir respective client systems 830, and multiple client systems 830 maytransmit multiple player inputs and/or game events to game networkingsystem 820 b for further processing. In addition, multiple clientsystems 830 may transmit other types of application data to gamenetworking system 820 b.

In particular embodiments, a computed-implemented game may be atext-based or turn-based game implemented as a series of web pages thatare generated after a player selects one or more actions to perform. Theweb pages may be displayed in a browser client executed on client system830. As an example and not by way of limitation, a client applicationdownloaded to client system 830 may operate to serve a set of webpagesto a player. As another example and not by way of limitation, acomputer-implemented game may be an animated or rendered game executableas a stand-alone application or within the context of a webpage or otherstructured document. In particular embodiments, the computer-implementedgame may be implemented using Adobe Flash-based technologies. As anexample and not by way of limitation, a game may be fully or partiallyimplemented as a SWF object that is embedded in a web page andexecutable by a Flash media player plug-in. In particular embodiments,one or more described webpages may be associated with or accessed bysocial networking system 820 a. This disclosure contemplates using anysuitable application for the retrieval and rendering of structureddocuments hosted by any suitable network-addressable resource orwebsite.

Application event data of a game is any data relevant to the game (e.g.,player inputs). In particular embodiments, each application datum mayhave a name and a value, and the value of the application datum maychange (i.e., be updated) at any time. When an update to an applicationdatum occurs at client system 830, either caused by an action of a gameplayer or by the game logic itself, client system 830 may need to informgame networking system 820 b of the update. For example, if the game isa farming game with a harvest mechanic (such as Zynga FarmVille), anevent can correspond to a player clicking on a parcel of land to harvesta crop. In such an instance, the application event data may identify anevent or action (e.g., harvest) and an object in the game to which theevent or action applies. For illustration purposes and not by way oflimitation, system 800 is discussed in reference to updating amulti-player online game hosted on a network-addressable system (suchas, for example, social networking system 820 a or game networkingsystem 820 b), where an instance of the online game is executed remotelyon a client system 830, which then transmits application event data tothe hosting system such that the remote game server synchronizes gamestate associated with the instance executed by the client system 830.

In particular embodiment, one or more objects of a game may berepresented as an Adobe Flash object. Flash may manipulate vector andraster graphics, and supports bidirectional streaming of audio andvideo. “Flash” may mean the authoring environment, the player, or theapplication files. In particular embodiments, client system 830 mayinclude a Flash client. The Flash client may be configured to receiveand run Flash application or game object code from any suitablenetworking system (such as, for example, social networking system 820 aor game networking system 820 b). In particular embodiments, the Flashclient may be run in a browser client executed on client system 830. Aplayer can interact with Flash objects using client system 830 and theFlash client. The Flash objects can represent a variety of in-gameobjects. Thus, the player may perform various in-game actions on variousin-game objects by make various changes and updates to the associatedFlash objects. In particular embodiments, in-game actions can beinitiated by clicking or similarly interacting with a Flash object thatrepresents a particular in-game object. For example, a player caninteract with a Flash object to use, move, rotate, delete, attack,shoot, or harvest an in-game object. This disclosure contemplatesperforming any suitable in-game action by interacting with any suitableFlash object. In particular embodiments, when the player makes a changeto a Flash object representing an in-game object, the client-executedgame logic may update one or more game state parameters associated withthe in-game object. To ensure synchronization between the Flash objectshown to the player at client system 830, the Flash client may send theevents that caused the game state changes to the in-game object to gamenetworking system 820 b. However, to expedite the processing and hencethe speed of the overall gaming experience, the Flash client may collecta batch of some number of events or updates into a batch file. Thenumber of events or updates may be determined by the Flash clientdynamically or determined by game networking system 820 b based onserver loads or other factors. For example, client system 830 may send abatch file to game networking system 820 b whenever 50 updates have beencollected or after a threshold period of time, such as every minute.

As used herein, the term “application event data” may refer to any datarelevant to a computer-implemented game application that may affect oneor more game state parameters, including, for example and withoutlimitation, changes to player data or metadata, changes to player socialconnections or contacts, player inputs to the game, and events generatedby the game logic. In particular embodiments, each application datum mayhave a name and a value. The value of an application datum may change atany time in response to the game play of a player or in response to thegame engine (e.g., based on the game logic). In particular embodiments,an application data update occurs when the value of a specificapplication datum is changed. In particular embodiments, eachapplication event datum may include an action or event name and a value(such as an object identifier). Thus, each application datum may berepresented as a name-value pair in the batch file. The batch file mayinclude a collection of name-value pairs representing the applicationdata that have been updated at client system 830. In particularembodiments, the batch file may be a text file and the name-value pairsmay be in string format.

In particular embodiments, when a player plays an online game on clientsystem 830, game networking system 820 b may serialize all thegame-related data, including, for example and without limitation, gamestates, game events, user inputs, for this particular user and thisparticular game into a BLOB and stores the BLOB in a database. The BLOBmay be associated with an identifier that indicates that the BLOBcontains the serialized game-related data for a particular player and aparticular online game. In particular embodiments, while a player is notplaying the online game, the corresponding BLOB may be stored in thedatabase. This enables a player to stop playing the game at any timewithout losing the current state of the game the player is in. When aplayer resumes playing the game next time, game networking system 820 bmay retrieve the corresponding BLOB from the database to determine themost-recent values of the game-related data. In particular embodiments,while a player is playing the online game, game networking system 820 bmay also load the corresponding BLOB into a memory cache so that thegame system may have faster access to the BLOB and the game-related datacontained therein.

Systems and Methods

In particular embodiments, one or more described webpages may beassociated with a networking system or networking service. However,alternate embodiments may have application to the retrieval andrendering of structured documents hosted by any type of networkaddressable resource or web site. Additionally, as used herein, a usermay be an individual, a group, or an entity (such as a business or thirdparty application).

Particular embodiments may operate in a wide area network environment,such as the Internet, including multiple network addressable systems.FIG. 9 illustrates an example network environment, in which variousexample embodiments may operate. Network cloud 960 generally representsone or more interconnected networks, over which the systems and hostsdescribed herein can communicate. Network cloud 960 may includepacket-based wide area networks (such as the Internet), privatenetworks, wireless networks, satellite networks, cellular networks,paging networks, and the like. As FIG. 9 illustrates, particularembodiments may operate in a network environment comprising one or morenetworking systems, such as social networking system 920 a, gamenetworking system 920 b, and one or more client systems 930. Thecomponents of social networking system 920 a and game networking system920 b operate analogously; as such, hereinafter they may be referred tosimply at networking system 920. Client systems 930 are operablyconnected to the network environment via a network service provider, awireless carrier, or any other suitable means.

Networking system 920 is a network addressable system that, in variousexample embodiments, comprises one or more physical servers 922 and datastores 924. The one or more physical servers 922 are operably connectedto computer network 960 via, by way of example, a set of routers and/ornetworking switches 926. In an example embodiment, the functionalityhosted by the one or more physical servers 922 may include web or HTTPservers, FTP servers, as well as, without limitation, webpages andapplications implemented using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script,PHP Hyper-text Preprocessor (PHP), Active Server Pages (ASP), Hyper TextMarkup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Java,JavaScript, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), Flash, ActionScript,and the like.

Physical servers 922 may host functionality directed to the operationsof networking system 920. Hereinafter servers 922 may be referred to asserver 922, although server 922 may include numerous servers hosting,for example, networking system 920, as well as other contentdistribution servers, data stores, and databases. Data store 924 maystore content and data relating to, and enabling, operation ofnetworking system 920 as digital data objects. A data object, inparticular embodiments, is an item of digital information typicallystored or embodied in a data file, database, or record. Content objectsmay take many forms, including: text (e.g., ASCII, SGML, HTML), images(e.g., jpeg, tif and gif), graphics (vector-based or bitmap), audio,video (e.g., mpeg), or other multimedia, and combinations thereof.Content object data may also include executable code objects (e.g.,games executable within a browser window or frame), podcasts, etc.Logically, data store 924 corresponds to one or more of a variety ofseparate and integrated databases, such as relational databases andobject-oriented databases, that maintain information as an integratedcollection of logically related records or files stored on one or morephysical systems. Structurally, data store 924 may generally include oneor more of a large class of data storage and management systems. Inparticular embodiments, data store 924 may be implemented by anysuitable physical system(s) including components, such as one or moredatabase servers, mass storage media, media library systems, storagearea networks, data storage clouds, and the like. In one exampleembodiment, data store 924 includes one or more servers, databases(e.g., MySQL), and/or data warehouses. Data store 924 may include dataassociated with different networking system 920 users and/or clientsystems 930.

Client system 930 is generally a computer or computing device includingfunctionality for communicating (e.g., remotely) over a computernetwork. Client system 930 may be a desktop computer, laptop computer,personal digital assistant (PDA), in- or out-of-car navigation system,smart phone or other cellular or mobile phone, or mobile gaming device,among other suitable computing devices. Client system 930 may executeone or more client applications, such as a web browser (e.g., MicrosoftInternet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, andOpera), to access and view content over a computer network. Inparticular embodiments, the client applications allow a user of clientsystem 930 to enter addresses of specific network resources to beretrieved, such as resources hosted by networking system 920. Theseaddresses can be Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and the like. Inaddition, once a page or other resource has been retrieved, the clientapplications may provide access to other pages or records when the user“clicks” on hyperlinks to other resources. By way of example, suchhyperlinks may be located within the webpages and provide an automatedway for the user to enter the URL of another page and to retrieve thatpage.

A webpage or resource embedded within a webpage, which may itselfinclude multiple embedded resources, may include data records, such asplain textual information, or more complex digitally encoded multimediacontent, such as software programs or other code objects, graphics,images, audio signals, videos, and so forth. One prevalent markuplanguage for creating webpages is the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).Other common web browser-supported languages and technologies includethe Extensible Markup Language (XML), the Extensible Hypertext MarkupLanguage (XHTML), JavaScript, Flash, ActionScript, Cascading Style Sheet(CS S), and, frequently, Java. By way of example, HTML enables a pagedeveloper to create a structured document by denoting structuralsemantics for text and links, as well as images, web applications, andother objects that can be embedded within the page. Generally, a webpagemay be delivered to a client as a static document; however, through theuse of web elements embedded in the page, an interactive experience maybe achieved with the page or a sequence of pages. During a user sessionat the client, the web browser interprets and displays the pages andassociated resources received or retrieved from the website hosting thepage, as well as, potentially, resources from other websites.

When a user at a client system 930 desires to view a particular webpage(hereinafter also referred to as target structured document) hosted bynetworking system 920, the user's web browser, or other documentrendering engine or suitable client application, formulates andtransmits a request to networking system 920. The request generallyincludes a URL or other document identifier as well as metadata or otherinformation. By way of example, the request may include informationidentifying the user, such as a user ID, as well as informationidentifying or characterizing the web browser or operating systemrunning on the user's client computing device 930. The request may alsoinclude location information identifying a geographic location of theuser's client system or a logical network location of the user's clientsystem. The request may also include a timestamp identifying when therequest was transmitted.

Although the example network environment described above and illustratedin FIG. 9 described with respect to social networking system 920 a andgame networking system 920 b, this disclosure encompasses any suitablenetwork environment using any suitable systems. As an example and not byway of limitation, the network environment may include online mediasystems, online reviewing systems, online search engines, onlineadvertising systems, or any combination of two or more such systems.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example computing system architecture, which maybe used to implement a server 922 or a client system 930. In oneembodiment, hardware system 1000 comprises a processor 1002, a cachememory 1004, and one or more executable modules and drivers, stored on atangible computer readable medium, directed to the functions describedherein. Additionally, hardware system 1000 may include a highperformance input/output (I/O) bus 1006 and a standard I/O bus 1008. Ahost bridge 1010 may couple processor 1002 to high performance I/O bus1006, whereas I/O bus bridge 1012 couples the two buses 1006 and 1008 toeach other. A system memory 1014 and one or more network/communicationinterfaces 1016 may couple to bus 1006. Hardware system 1000 may furtherinclude video memory (not shown) and a display device coupled to thevideo memory. Mass storage 1018 and I/O ports 1020 may couple to bus1008. Hardware system 1000 may optionally include a keyboard, a pointingdevice, and a display device (not shown) coupled to bus 1008.Collectively, these elements are intended to represent a broad categoryof computer hardware systems, including but not limited to generalpurpose computer systems based on the x86-compatible processorsmanufactured by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., and thex86-compatible processors manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD),Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., as well as any other suitable processor.

The elements of hardware system 1000 are described in greater detailbelow. In particular, network interface 1016 provides communicationbetween hardware system 1000 and any of a wide range of networks, suchas an Ethernet (e.g., IEEE 802.3) network, a backplane, etc. Massstorage 1018 provides permanent storage for the data and programminginstructions to perform the above-described functions implemented inservers 422, whereas system memory 1014 (e.g., DRAM) provides temporarystorage for the data and programming instructions when executed byprocessor 1002. I/O ports 1020 are one or more serial and/or parallelcommunication ports that provide communication between additionalperipheral devices, which may be coupled to hardware system 1000.

Hardware system 1000 may include a variety of system architectures andvarious components of hardware system 1000 may be rearranged. Forexample, cache 1004 may be on-chip with processor 1002. Alternatively,cache 1004 and processor 1002 may be packed together as a “processormodule,” with processor 1002 being referred to as the “processor core.”Furthermore, certain embodiments of the present disclosure may notrequire nor include all of the above components. For example, theperipheral devices shown coupled to standard I/O bus 1008 may couple tohigh performance I/O bus 1006. In addition, in some embodiments, only asingle bus may exist, with the components of hardware system 1000 beingcoupled to the single bus. Furthermore, hardware system 1000 may includeadditional components, such as additional processors, storage devices,or memories.

An operating system manages and controls the operation of hardwaresystem 1000, including the input and output of data to and from softwareapplications (not shown). The operating system provides an interfacebetween the software applications being executed on the system and thehardware components of the system. Any suitable operating system may beused, such as the LINUX Operating System, the Apple Macintosh OperatingSystem, available from Apple Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., UNIXoperating systems, Microsoft® Windows® operating systems, BSD operatingsystems, and the like. Of course, other embodiments are possible. Forexample, the functions described herein may be implemented in firmwareor on an application-specific integrated circuit.

Furthermore, the above-described elements and operations can becomprised of instructions that are stored on non-transitory storagemedia. The instructions can be retrieved and executed by a processingsystem. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, andfirmware. Some examples of non-transitory storage media are memorydevices, tape, disks, integrated circuits, and servers. The instructionsare operational when executed by the processing system to direct theprocessing system to operate in accord with the disclosure. The term“processing system” refers to a single processing device or a group ofinter-operational processing devices. Some examples of processingdevices are integrated circuits and logic circuitry. Those skilled inthe art are familiar with instructions, computers, and storage media.

Miscellaneous

One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one ormore features of any other embodiment without departing from the scopeof the disclosure.

A recitation of “a,” “an,” or “the” is intended to mean “one or more”unless specifically indicated to the contrary. In addition, it is to beunderstood that functional operations, such as “awarding,” “locating,”“permitting,” and the like, are executed by game application logic thataccesses, and/or causes changes to, various data attribute valuesmaintained in a database or other memory.

The present disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions,variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodimentsherein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend.Similarly, where appropriate, the appended claims encompass all changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the exampleembodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art wouldcomprehend.

For example, the methods, game features and game mechanics describedherein may be implemented using hardware components, softwarecomponents, and/or any combination thereof. By way of example, whileembodiments of the present disclosure have been described as operatingin connection with a networking website, various embodiments of thepresent disclosure can be used in connection with any communicationsfacility that supports web applications. Furthermore, in someembodiments the term “web service” and “website” may be usedinterchangeably and additionally may refer to a custom or generalizedAPI on a device, such as a mobile device (e.g., cellular phone, smartphone, personal GPS, personal digital assistance, personal gamingdevice, etc.), that makes API calls directly to a server. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, beevident that various modifications and changes may be made thereuntowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure asset forth in the claims and that the disclosure is intended to cover allmodifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: one or more computerprocessor devices; and memory storing instructions that, when executedby the one or more computer processor devices, configure the system toperform operations comprising: accessing player information for playersof a multiplayer online game managed over a distributed computer networkby the system; processing the player information to identify one of theplayers as a recruiting player for the game, the recruiting playerhaving an associated user device on which is installed a client gameapplication executable by the user device to enable playing of the gamevia the user device; identifying as a target recruit a user whosatisfies predefined connection criteria with respect to the recruitingplayer, the target recruit having a respectively associated user devicecapable of executing the client game application; establishing absenceof installation of the client game application on the user device of thetarget recruit; and responsive to and conditional upon establishing theabsence of installation of the client game application on the userdevice of the target recruit, generating and transmitting to the userdevice of the target recruit, without involvement of or initiation bythe recruiting player, a game invitation for the recruiting player andthe target recruit to play an instance of the game together, the gameinvitation being configured to appear as having been initiated by therecruiting player.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructionsconfigure the system to transmit the game invitation to the targetrecruit on behalf of the recruiting player.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the instructions further configure the system to: responsive toacceptance of the game invitation by the target recruit, automaticallycause installation of the client game application for the game on theuser device of the target recruit.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thegame invitation includes a selectable link to an application store todownload the client game application for the target game to the userdevice of the target recruit.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein theinstructions further configure the system to: receive a notificationfrom the application store that the client game application for the gamehas been installed on the user device of the target recruit; responsiveto receiving the notification from the application store, automaticallygenerate and transmit a request from the target recruit for gameplaywith the recruiting player; and based on the request, initiate a gameinstance of the game between the recruiting player and the targetrecruit.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection criteriacomprise that the target recruit and the recruiting player are connectedin a social network.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the socialnetwork is an out-of-game network.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein theconnection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruitingplayer have played each other in a further game hosted by the system,the further game being different from the game to which the gameinvitation pertains.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructionsfurther configure the system to: quantify a number of game instances ofthe further game that the target recruit has played over a predefinedperiod of time; and wherein the generation and transmission of the gameinvitation is further conditional upon the number of game instancestransgressing a predetermined threshold.
 10. A method comprising:accessing player information for players of a multiplayer online gamemanaged over a distributed computer network by a gaming server systemcomprising one or more game servers; processing the player informationto identify one of the players as a recruiting player for the game, therecruiting player having an associated user device on which is installeda client game application executable by the user device to enableplaying of the game via the user device; in an automated operationperformed one or more computer processor devices configured therefor,identifying as a target recruit a user who satisfies predefinedconnection criteria with respect to the recruiting player, the targetrecruit having a respectively associated user device capable ofexecuting the client game application; establishing absence ofinstallation of the client game application on the user device of thetarget recruit; and in an automated procedure performed responsive toand conditional upon establishing the absence of installation of theclient game application on the user device of the target recruit,generating and transmitting to the user device of the target recruit,without involvement of or initiation by the recruiting player, a gameinvitation for the recruiting player and the target recruit to play aninstance of the game together, the game invitation being configured toappear as having been initiated by the recruiting player.
 11. The methodof claim 10, wherein the gaming server system transmits the gameinvitation to the target recruit on behalf of the recruiting player. 12.The method of claim 10, further comprising: responsive to acceptance ofthe game invitation by the target recruit, automatically causing, byoperation of the gaming server system, installation of the client gameapplication for the game on the user device of the target recruit. 13.The method of claim 10, wherein the game invitation includes aselectable link to an application store to download the client gameapplication for the target game to the user device of the targetrecruit.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving anotification from the application store that the client game applicationfor the game has been installed on the user device of the targetrecruit; responsive to receiving the notification from the applicationstore, automatically generating and transmitting a request from thetarget recruit for gameplay with the recruiting player; and based on therequest; initiating a game instance of the game between the recruitingplayer and the target recruit.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein theconnection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruitingplayer are connected in a social network.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein the social network is an out-of-game network.
 17. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the connection criteria comprise that the targetrecruit and the recruiting player have played each other in a furthergame hosted by the gaming server system, the further game beingdifferent from the game to which the game invitation pertains.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising: quantifying a number of gameinstances of the further game that the target recruit has played over apredefined period of time; and wherein the generation and transmissionof the game invitation is further conditional upon the number of gameinstances transgressing a predetermined threshold.
 19. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage mediumincluding instructions that when executed by a computer, cause thecomputer to perform operation comprising: accessing player informationfor players of a multiplayer online game managed over a distributedcomputer network by a gaming server system comprising one or more gameservers; processing the player information to identify one of theplayers as a recruiting player for the game, the recruiting playerhaving an associated user device on which is installed a client gameapplication executable by the user device to enable playing of the gamevia the user device; identifying as a target recruit a user whosatisfies predefined connection criteria with respect to the recruitingplayer, the target recruit having a respectively associated user devicecapable of executing the client game application; establishing absenceof installation of the client game application on the user device of thetarget recruit; and responsive to and conditional upon establishing theabsence of installation of the client game application on the userdevice of the target recruit, generating and transmitting to the userdevice of the target recruit, without involvement of or initiation bythe recruiting player, a game invitation for the recruiting player andthe target recruit to play an instance of the game together, the gameinvitation being configured to appear as having been initiated by therecruiting player.
 20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19,wherein the instructions cause the gaming server system to transmit thegame invitation to the target recruit on behalf of the recruitingplayer.